Updated 30 may Crew Dragon elset estimate

From: Marco Langbroek via Seesat-l <seesat-l_at_satobs.org>
Date: Thu, 28 May 2020 16:27:17 +0200
Op 27-5-2020 om 23:22 schreef Marco Langbroek via Seesat-l:
> 
> The launch of Crew Dragon Demo-2 was scrubbed unfortunately.
> 
> A new attempt is scheduled for 30 May near 19:22 UT.
> 
> The following estimated elset is for launch on 30 May 19:22:00 UT. If a better
> launch time (to the second) becomes available, I wil, post an update.
> 
> 
> CREW DRAGON DEMO-2                for launch 30 May 2020  19:22:00 UT
> 1 70000U 20999A   20151.80474535 -.00003603  11390-4  00000+0 0    04
> 2 70000  51.6423 075.0039 0122953  45.6251 315.4951 15.99554646    01


The Spaceflight Now website (hat-tip to pmafer) reports an apparent launch time
of 3:22:45 p.m. EDT = 19:22:45 UT

https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/05/27/stormy-weather-delays-crew-dragon-launch-to-saturday/


Under the assumption that this is correct, this results in the following elset
estimate for the May 30 launch attempt:


CREW DRAGON DEMO-2                   for launch at 30 May 19:22:45 UT
1 70001U 20999A   20151.80521989 -.00003603  11390-4  00000+0 0    01
2 70001  51.6423 075.1752 0122953  45.6251 315.4951 15.99554646    05


I have seen no sub-minute launch times directly from SpaceX or NASA anywhere
yet, so treat this cautiously, as without an authorative source this remains
rather apocryphal.

I must say I find it very annoying that the basic launch information of interest
to us (e.g. precise launch times, initial orbital altitudes and inclinations
aimed for etc.) for these commercial launches is lacking.

The Press kits read more like hyped Company PR leaflets than that they really
contain clear information regarding the launch (like they used to do), even
though they are pages longer than they used to be. It is all more concerned with
a show-element and less with actual informative content. This is a bad development.

In the Shuttle era, Space Shuttle TLE's and State Vectors aimed for would be
published in advance by NASA on a dedicated website. It is a sad turn of events
that this is not happening now (they still do this for the ISS, but not for the
commercial cargo or crew flights).

I have no doubt that the commercial companies involved are so restrictive with
pertinent information from a viewpoint of propriety and NASA is bound by this,
but I find that attitude very short-sighted, and a clearly missed opportunity in
terms of outreach.

(I have the same qualms with ESA by the way, which is equally opaque in the
release of basic launch information on space missions).

- Marco


-----
Dr Marco Langbroek  -  SatTrackCam Leiden, the Netherlands.
e-mail: sattrackcam_at_langbroek.org

Station (b)log: http://sattrackcam.blogspot.com
Twitter: _at_Marco_Langbroek
-----
_______________________________________________
Seesat-l mailing list
http://mailman.satobs.org/mailman/listinfo/seesat-l
Received on Thu May 28 2020 - 09:28:20 UTC

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Thu May 28 2020 - 14:28:20 UTC